Lawndale’s working class police-magnet NOYES (pronounced [noiz]) plays grungy noise rock, and they’ve always floated on the fringes of Los Angeles’ music scene, mingling with South Bay and Valley bands of DIY stature. But outside of the SoCal music hub, Kermit Obert (guitar/vox), Ian Fahrenreich (drums), and Daniel Garcia (bass) have been tearing up the West, whether at a sweaty Torrance house show in or a packed venue in Seattle. Back in their early formation, the three went under a different name — Moose (US), if only to distance and pay homage to the ’90s British band that first got trashed as "shoegazing". With the release of their first demo "Obscurities", Moose wasted no time playing out their first sonic incarnation of lo-fi garage scrunge.

Around 2013 Moose’s musical direction curved, morphing into NOYES, embracing discordant aggression and embarking on their first tour with Mountair buddies Ghost Noise. They haven’t looked back since, and though they’ve yet to be celebrated by tastemakers of Internet fame, NOYES has received great support from the local underground, playing with bands like Dustin and the Explosions, Loko Ono, The May Runners, and more. All the good vibes jam-packed themselves into the band’s breakthrough debut EP, recorded with Converse Rubber Tracks in 2014.

NOYES make their Smell debut tomorrow with a digital release of their brand new six-track EP titled "Relapse". They’re on with support from long-time mates Yogi Berra, Big Sis, and new kids No Chill from the Inland Empire. Listen to NOYES’ premiere single "Cut Off" and get turnt with respect to the gang and the venue. 

Because you don’t fuck with a band that’s played a sick cover to Daria’s theme song. You just don’t. – Ryan Mo, photo credit Nadia Adella

Bl_nk Sp_ces‘ songs marry the austere simplicity of early synth pop (Kraftwerk, Gary Numan) with a more modern melodic sensibility. The British born, NYC raised act released their debut album ‘Memory Man‘ in 2014, and since then have played regularly in NYC, including at the latest CMJ show. Check out their single The Great Shark Hunt (streaming below) and see them live at one of the last shows at Cameo Gallery on November 9th.

Those who fell in love with the arresting intensity of Jeff Buckley’s "Grace" should familiarize with Port St. Willow, the brainchild of NYC composer Nicholas Principe. The two artists share a beautifully expressive falsetto and preference for sparse atmospheres, but come from completely different places in terms of musicianship: you’ll rarely hear a plain guitar sound in Port St. Willow, since Principe is a keyboardist/sound designer. His music’s central elements are ambiance, melody and drone. Ghostly new single "Ordinary Pleasure," released on his brand new imprint People Teeth, reinforces this notion – it’s part of a full length entitled "Syncope," to be released in the near future. Written and recorded with a focus on improvisation, the album features guest appearances by Will Epstein (Nicolas Jaar, High Water), Peter Silberman (The Antlers), and David Moore (Bing & Ruth) among others.

Port St. Willow’s debut album earned some praise from none other than legendary producer Brian Eno – check out our 2013 post about it here. You can see the band live at Le Poisson Rouge on 11.17 and at Trans Pecos the day after.

Bicoastal synth-pop duo Painted Palms released their sophomore album Horizons in September, shorly after embarking in an intensive (and still ongoing) five week tour with Brooklyn like-minded band Small Black. The project’s latest effort elegantly blends conflicting ’80s electronic influences, including Soft Cell’s light pop attitude and darker tendencies reminiscent of bands like Depeche Mode and Wire. Baby’s All Right will be hosting the NYC leg of their tour on November 20. Check out their brand new video for single "Refractor."